During the last two decades, the annual San Francisco Author’s Luncheon has grown into the Bay Area’s premier literary event. This year is no different: the National Kidney Foundation celebrate its 29th annual luncheon on Saturday, November 4.

Stuart Brioza & Nicole Krasinski (State Bird Provisions)
Few restaurants have taken the nation by storm like San Francisco’s Michelin-starred State Bird Provisions. Inspired by the exciting diversity of passed hors d’oeuvres, chef-owners Brioza and Kasinski use dim sum style carts to offer guests small but finely crafted dishes that surprise and delight. Now, in their highly anticipated State Bird Provisions: A Cookbook, they share recipes for their most popular dishes alongside stunning photography, and inspire readers and home cooks to craft an unforgettable meal that excites all of the senses.

Christine Carter, PhD
A sociologist and senior fellow at UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center, Dr. Carter is the author of The Sweet Spot: How to Find Your Groove at Work and Home and Raising Happiness. A sought-after keynote speaker, she combines scientific research and practical application, offering audiences not only a way to cope, but a way to truly thrive. The writer of a frequently syndicated, award-winning blog, she has appeared on The Today Show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, ABC World News with Diane Sawyer, PBS, NPR, and BBC Radio.

Lee Child
Hot off the heels of last fall’s instant hit, Night School, and the big screen adaptation of Never Go Back, #1 international bestseller Child returns with The Midnight Line, the 22nd novel in the Jack Reacher thriller series. A former presentation director with the UK’s Granada Television, his debut, Killing Floor, won both the Anthony and the Barry awards for “Best First Mystery”, and The Enemy won both the Barry and the Nero awards for “Best Novel”. 2012 film Jack Reacher was a box office smash based on Child’s 9th novel, One Shot, starring Tom Cruise. The Associated Press writes, “Child has created an iconic character that other thriller writers try to emulate, but don’t come close to matching”.

Daniel Handler & Lisa Brown
Bestselling author of The Basic Eight, Why We Broke Up, and We Are Pirates, Handler is also known as Lemony Snicket, author of the book series All the Wrong Questions and A Series of Unfortunate Events, which has been adapted into an Academy Award-winning film and television series. Illustrator, author, and cartoonist Brown’s books include Mummy Cat, Emily’s Blue Period, and The Airport Book. Together they have collaborated on The Latke Who Couldn’t Stop Screaming and this spring’s fresh and funny Goldfish Ghost.

Joyce Maynard
The author of 16 books, including the novels To Die For and Labor Day—both adapted for film —and the bestselling memoir At Home in the World, Maynard’s work has been translated into 17 languages. Her essays have appeared in dozens of publications and numerous collections. She has been a frequent performer with The Moth, a fellow of the MacDowell Colony and Yaddo, and founder of the Lake Atitlan Writers’ Workshop. This fall, her new memoir, The Best of Us, explores love and loss with her late husband, Jim Barringer, who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer just after their one-year anniversary.

Lisa SeeNew York Times bestselling author of The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane, See’s novels include Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, Peony in Love, Shanghai Girls, China Dolls, and Dreams of Joy, which debuted at #1. Her On Gold Mountain tells the story of her Chinese American family’s settlement in Los Angeles. See was honored as National Woman of the Year by the Organization of Chinese American Women in 2001 and was the recipient of the Chinese American Museum’s History Makers Award in 2003.

The National Kidney Foundation’s 29th Annual Authors Event is the largest literary event of its kind in the Bay Area. Featuring a luncheon and a dinner, the event brings together those who are passionate about literature and saving lives through kidney disease research, advocacy, and education. Meet each author during book signing sessions. Individuals and corporations sponsoring the event at $5,000 and above receive an invitation to the exclusive Authors VIP Cocktail & Dinner Party, the Friday night before the luncheon.

Nearly 2 million people in Northern California suffer from chronic kidney disease, including 1 million living in the Greater Bay Area. Luncheon proceeds support the work of the National Kidney Foundation to directly enhance the lives of people in our community who are either dialysis or transplant patients, or at risk for developing kidney disease.

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - Lee Child returns with a gripping new powerhouse thriller featuring Jack Reacher, "one of this century's most original, tantalizing pop-fiction heroes" (The Washington Post).

Goldfish Ghost was born on the surface of the water in the bowl on a dresser in a boy's room. The boy's room was pleasant and familiar, but Goldfish Ghost wanted company, so he set out to find a friend.

He floats over the neighborhood, past the pier, and let the breeze carry him into town where he discovers that not many people pay attention to goldfish ghosts.